Blog Tour – Life Is A 4-Letter Word by Dr. David A. Levy

Another amazing book being brought to you by Suzy Approved Book Tours. Life Is A 4-Letter Word by Dr. David A. Levy was published on December 3, 2019 and is available for purchase now. This is a brilliant collection of stories centered around “Laughing and Learning Through 40 Life Lessons.” Scroll down to find out more about the book and read my review.

About the book:

Remember the childhood dread of getting a shot? Or more grownup fears, like being exposed as an impostor? Or the pain of saying goodbye to a beloved pet, having your trust betrayed, or falling in love with the wrong person?

Over his 60-plus years, and varied careers as a therapist, professor, author, actor, and media consultant, Dr. David A. Levy has lived through everyday experiences—embarrassing moments, distressing episodes, moving encounters—that nearly everybody can relate to.

In LIFE IS A 4-LETTER WORD: Laughing and Learning Through 40 Life Lessons Dr. Levy shares the stories from his lifetime journey that have stayed with him and carried him through life’s challenges.

In midlife, Dr. Levy started collecting meaningful anecdotes from his past and, when they seemed relevant, sharing them to encourage and engage his patients and students. “I was struck by how frequently they resonated with others,” he reflects. “I came to realize the impact of these stories is a result of their being both real and personal.”

Presented in chronological order to trace the arc of his life, growth, and development, Dr. Levy’s slice-of-life tales offer deep insights, drawing on his expertise as a veteran psychologist, and the wisdom of both hindsight and maturity—as well as the ability to laugh at himself. Each story offers a valuable nugget or moral. But this collection of reflections on familiar yet often overlooked, and sometimes willfully forgotten, experiences isn’t preachy or prescriptive. Written in a style that’s engaging, humorous, warm, and friendly, LIFE IS A 4-LETTER WORD aims to entice others to look back on and find meaning in their own humbling attempts, impulsive decisions, silly mistakes, and happenstance occurrences.

Starting with the story of the routine shot Levy dreaded getting at age six and culminating six decades later with his near-dying father’s surprising final request, LIFE IS A 4-LETTER WORD tells widely relatable, touching, and often funny stories about high school football games, bosses from hell, and the frustration of trying to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped. From his tales of youthful angst and hubris, early career blunders and misjudgments, and misplaced loyalty, envy, and loss, Dr. Levy offers his enduring takeaways, including:

• When you have to face the inevitable, it’s best to just get it over with.

• You only know you’ve gone too far when you’ve gone too far.

• A healthy dose of cynicism is a potent antidote against gullibility.

• The answers to some questions are destined to remain unknowable.

• With age, the absence of catastrophic news is great news.

Book Blurbs

David Levy has nailed what it means to glean all the greatness out of life’s masterful lessons in his new book, Life Is a 4-Letter Word! Laugh along with him, as I did, while drinking in these warm hearted anecdotal stories that will help you keep life in perspective.”–Kristine Carlson, co-author of the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff books

“Meticulously crafted, these engaging, funny, and often moving vignettes perfectly set up the brief but potent shots of distilled wisdom that follow.”–Drew Erhardt, psychologist, co-developer of the Moodnotes and MoodKit apps

“This is a very special book that I predict will find thousands of eager readers. The stories combine David Levy’s wonderful sense of humor with insights and wisdom about life. It is well written and a kick to read!”–David N. Elkins, psychologist and author (The Human Elements of Psychotherapy)

“Professor David Levy’s book is insightful, profound, funny, and thoroughly original. Meaning in life is everywhere, he reminds us, and whether it changes us profoundly or sails right over our heads, it’s nice to know it’s there.”–Lewis Colick, screenwriter (October Sky, Ghosts of Mississippi, etc.)

“Chicken soup, with a few dashes of Tabasco, and laced with scintillating humor.”–Eric Shiraev, cultural psychologist, George Mason University

My review

Well, David Levy has made me a liar.
I’m constantly asked if I re-read books, and the answer is no. I am one of those people who just never get the same “feels” as I did the very first time I read something, and so re-reading is just useless to me. Until now. Life Is A 4-Letter Word is now the book that I want to carry around with me constantly, have on my person at every moment of every day, and re-read the brilliant advice given in such relatable stories. {SIGH}

David wrote this awesome book of essays based on little life lessons he experienced on his own, with a unique file of “sticky notes” he collected on the way. These stories are all true experiences that David kindly shares in just a few paragraphs that give eye opening advice that each and every one of us can savor in our own way. There is not one story here we all can’t relate to, and probably come back with a comparable story of our own.

Each story is short and simple, and the entire book can be read in one sitting, I finished it in 2 hours. (Probably could have been done in less but heaven forbid I can read without being disturbed).I laughed(The Marvels of Cynicism).I cried (The Nature of Attachment).I totally got pissed off(Testing the Limits), ~oh David that car, oh my heart, I just can’t believe how stupid that was, If you only knew how much I love my little red convertible, I felt your pain, really I think I FELT it!I totally related(Empathetic Failure) ~I swear my ex-therapist came from the same school yours did.I felt the pressure of change (The Prozac Dilemma)
And in the end I realized that my flawed perfectionism is nothing to worry about(Perfectly Flawed).

And thats just a few of the things I took away from reading it.

I will read this book constantly. I will buy copies of it and have it laying around my house, I will give it as gifts to my friends. There is no better way to change your thinking until you read a book where someone else shows you all their own personal flaws and then points out after the fact what the “bright side” was. This was magnificent. Such a treasure. 5 stars and a highly highly recommend. Probably the best written ‘self-help’ and ‘advice’ book I have ever read.

Also check out David’s website, he has personal photos that correlate to a lot of the stories. (Yes, they really are all true). I am sharing a few of my favorites here.

I just would like to thank Dr. David A. Levy, Suzanne Leopold of Suzy Approved Book Tours, and Mango Publishing (#partner) for the gifted copy of this book for my unbiased and honest opinion for review.

Buy the Book

About the Author

DR. DAVID A. LEVY is an award-winning Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University, where he has been teaching since 1986. He received his BA in theater arts from UCLA before earning two MA degrees and his PhD in psychology. In addition to two bestselling textbooks, diverse research studies, and a widely acclaimed self-help book, Tools of Critical Thinking, he has published numerous satirical articles. A sought-out media consultant for psychological perspectives on current events and insights into issues in the mental health field, Dr. Levy has appeared on more than 70 broadcasts on major networks, including CNN, PBS, NPR, and NatGeo. He has also worked as a director, producer, writer, and actor in films, television, and stage. He received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performance in a Network Television Series and was a guest star on the popular sitcom Cheers, where he portrayed the leader of Frasier’s low self-esteem group (a role which he adamantly maintains is not type-casting). He lives in Santa Monica, California.